Classical music has survived for centuries, evolving with each new composer’s contribution to the genre. However, music department chair Neal Stulberg said the UCLA Philharmonia student orchestra seeks to bridge the gap between older symphonic music and the more contemporary.
Stulberg, who has served as conductor and music director for the Philharmonia since 2005, said his goal is to put together a mix of music to expose his students and audiences to a broad spectrum of styles and periods.
The Philharmonia’s next public performance is on Thursday in Schoenberg Hall and features a program that is a marriage between older and newer symphonic music. The pieces range from Joseph Hadyn’s 1794 “Symphony No. 104,” to César Franck’s 1883 “Le Chasseur Maudit,” to Zoltán Kodály’s 1926 “Suite from ‘Háry János.’”
This concert marks the second of three performances for the orchestra for this quarter alone. Stulberg said the Philharmonia intentionally moves at a fast pace when learning new repertoire to better prepare members to become working musicians.
“Our rehearsal sequence is short, and that’s a conscious decision,” Stulberg said. “It mimics a professional situation, number one, and number two, it creates a certain urgency to perform at a high level all the time.”
In the upcoming program, Franck’s “Le Chasseur Maudit” (“The Accursed Huntsman”) follows the haunting story of the Count of the Rhine, who pillages a village on the Sabbath Day and is subsequently chased to hell.
The “Suite from ‘Háry János’” by Kodály is also story-based, centering around a retired soldier who fabricates outrageous tales about his experiences as a warrior.
Mariam Kaddoura, a first-year graduate student in music and percussionist for the Philharmonia, said the “Suite from ‘Háry János’” is her favorite because of the story behind it.
“(‘The Suite from Háry János’) is standard repertoire based on an opera,” Kaddoura said. “It’s pretty much a fairy tale a war veteran is telling to this village. You can hear the story in the suite. … Storytelling is definitely something that (all three pieces) have in common.”
Kaddoura said this concert’s pieces can be appreciated both by long-time classical fans and new listeners alike. She said classical music is neither archaic nor stuffy, and this program in particular reflects how fun orchestral music can be.
Francis Wong, a first-year business economics student and violinist in the Philharmonia, said he is excited to share the music that he and more than 60 of his colleagues in the orchestra have been rehearsing six hours a week for the past several weeks. He said he is especially grateful to be participating in and presenting an art form that has existed for centuries.
“I think it’s just so important to go back to our roots,” Wong said. “Unfortunately modern music that’s on the radio doesn’t take that much talent, as opposed to how much classical musicians practice every day.”
Outside of UCLA, Stulberg said one great venue for sharing the Philharmonia’s wide menu of repertoire is the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, which is itself an encyclopedia museum that features both older and newer installations in art.
Since 2005, UCLA Philharmonia has held a recurring role in LACMA’s “Sundays Live” music series. This weekly program has been in continuous operation since 1948, and features classical and chamber music ensembles from the Los Angeles area free of charge to the public.
The Philharmonia will return to LACMA to perform at the Bing Theater on Sunday and will present the same program from its Thursday show on campus. The performance will subsequently be broadcasted to the Classical KUSC-FM (91.5) radio station, allowing listeners from all over Los Angeles to tune in for the concert.
Bill Vestal, artistic director for LACMA’s “Sundays Live,” said UCLA Philharmonia offers a professionalism and spirit to the series and LACMA holds no reservations in bringing the ensemble back for concerts season after season.
“It’s (the UCLA Philharmonia’s) willingness to take a chance on programming, along with their enthusiasm, and the fact that this enthusiasm is then transmitted to the audience,” Vestal said.
Vestal said the “Sundays Live” series has attracted a wide audience of orchestral music appreciators from across Los Angeles. He said the museum’s central location makes the series particularly accessible.
“There are 600 seats in the theater, and we have full houses every Sunday,” Vestal said.
Likewise, Stulberg said he always looks forward to bringing the Philharmonia to LACMA, which he said has become a real home for UCLA music-making. Stulberg said he hopes the Philharmonia’s performances both on campus and at LACMA will inspire audiences with the power of symphonic music.
“There are many students who have never been to an orchestra concert,” Stulberg said. “I’m hoping that students will regard UCLA Philharmonia the way they regard other Bruin teams: a team that provides inspiration, entertainment and an exciting experience for the audience with tons of energy and expertise.”